Melinda McGehee "Mindy" Riseden

Mindy Riseden focuses her practice on commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on the trial level.

Mindy has spent more than 18 years avidly representing clients in the courtroom. Her practice is focused on commercial litigation, with emphasis on the trial level. She has provided counsel to individuals, local businesses, national corporations, and multinational organizations in disputes involving construction litigation, partnerships, insurance brokerage, real estate, and contracts. Regardless of the nature of the dispute, Mindy enjoys working with people, and she finds that during the litigation process the best method to help the client reach their goals consists of working diligently and persistently while also maintaining flexibility as issues and disputes are always evolving.

Mindy believes balance is important to any activity. Prior to graduating law school, Mindy studied and lived abroad in Mexico, Spain, Chile, and Hong Kong. While in law school, Mindy served as a Senior Articles Editor for the SMU Dedman School of Law’s Computer Law Review & Technology Journal. She was also elected as a Barrister and received the Southern Methodist University’s McGuire Fellowship Award for Ethics & Public Responsibility (2001). Mindy is conversational in Spanish and enjoys meeting and working with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. When not consumed with areas of commercial litigation, Mindy enjoys working with pro bono clients, especially children needing a voice and guidance through the legal system.

In addition to interning for Federal and State judges, Mindy served as a Briefing Attorney to the Honorable Justice Catherine Stone of the Court of Appeals of the Fourth District of Texas, 2003-2004.

• Represented clients in the energy industry, both local and international, on issues involving eminent domain, contract disputes, partnership disputes, and personal injury defense
• Represented a Fortune 500 global company on a variety of insurance brokerage disputes
• Represented clients on a variety of real estate and construction issues
• Represented clients on trust fiduciary disputes and employment related disputes

• SMU Dedman School of Law’s Emerging Leader Board, member, 2017-2026
• Board of Directors of the St. Paul’s Methodist Foundation of Houston, 2022-2027
• Texas Bar Foundation
• Houston Bar Foundation
• State Bar of Texas – Construction Law, Litigation, and Immigration and Nationality
• Houston Bar Association – The Houston Lawyer, editorial board member/associate editor, 2005-2007
• The Barristers, SMU Dedman School of Law, member
• Phi Delta Phi, member

Community & Civic

• St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, member
• Active volunteer with Catholic Charities St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance

• Best Lawyers in America – Litigation-Construction, BL Rankings, 2024-2025
• Texas Super Lawyers – General Litigation, Thomson Reuters, 2023-2024
• Lawyers in Houston, H Texas Magazine, 2016-2020

• Judicial Spotlight: An Interview with Chief Justice Alma L. Lopez, co-author, The Appellate Advocate, 2005
• Using Immigration as a Protectionist Mechanism While Promoting Free Trade, 8 L. & BUS. REV. AM. 667, 2002